Essential Animal Information for Pets in Spain
An overview of the rules of pet ownership in Spain and what to do about an animal lost or found.

For the contact information of English-speaking vets, boarding kennels and other local pet and animal services and suppliers, click the link above.

Pets (animales domésticos or mascotas) are defined as animals kept for company.

General Rules for Pet Owners in Spain

All domestic pets in Spain must be identified by microchip or by a clearly readable tattoo. The tattoo will only be accepted as a means of identification until 3 July 2011.

Vaccination against rabies is compulsory. It is also advisable to have dogs vaccinated against other diseases such as distemper and hardpad. Cats should be immunised against feline gastro enteritis and typhus.

There is no law against dogs fouling public places, however people are becoming increasingly sensitive about it and there are specific rules within certain places, such as urban parks.

Dogs should be kept on a lead in public places.

Generally, dogs are permitted on trains. Sometimes they may need to be contained in a pet carrier, or they may have to be muzzled. Dogs normally travel at half the fare of a 2nd class ticket; this charge is payable directly to the conductor. 

Veterinarians 

The standard of Spanish vets is considered to be very high.  

Buying & Owning a Pet

The seller of a domestic animal has to provide the following documents:

The new owner of the pet has to:

Regulated Animals

There are restrictions on owning certain breeds of dog and potentially dangerous animals in Spain. Laws are regulated by the Autonomous Communities (Comunidades Autónomas), which impose a wide variety of rules and regulations within the country. 

In general, the following are considered as dangerous animals and owned under specific conditions: 

Note: From October 2008, residents in Andalucía are forbidden from owning exotic or wild animals as pets. Residents have six months to declare their pets at the local town hall and deliver them to the designated authorised establishment. Owners that fail to meet the October 2008 deadline will face a fine. The ban applies to:

All dog, cat and ferret owners in Andalucía are required to register their animals on the Animal Identification Registry of Andalucía (Registro Andaluz de Identificación Animal, RAIA). Owners have three months to register their pets, except for those with a potentially dangerous breed of dog who have one month to obtain the necessary licence.

Dangerous dogs

Any person owning a potentially dangerous dog  (perros potencialmente peligrosos) in Spain must have an appropriate licence (by law of article 3 of the Royal Decree 287/2002, of 22 of March 2002) and the dog must be registered with the municipality. Handlers and walkers of dangerous or potentially dangerous dogs must also be licenced (article 1, 2 of Law 50/1999, of December 1999). A licence is valid for one year. 

Potentially dangerous dog are identified as being in one of three categories: 

1) Breeds and breed crosses classified as potentially dangerous:

2) Dogs with certain characteristics of these breeds are also classified as potentially dangerous. The characteristics are: 3) Dogs that have a track record of aggression to humans and other animals must also be licenced and registered.   

Dog owner licence application   

The licence application is made to the municipality of the place of residence. The applicant must take the following (an applicant must be over 18 years): 

Once accepted, a licence (the Licencia para tener perros potencialmente peligrosos) is issued. 

Dog registration

Potentially dangerous dogs must be registered with the municipal registry for dangerous dogs (Registro Municipal de Perros Potencialmente Peligrosos). Registration of the dog must be renewed annually.

Take:

Walking a potentially dangerous dog   

Dog owners or handlers must carry the licence and dog registration document when out with the dog. The dog must be muzzled and on a lead of no more than two metres long (one metre in Andalucia). Only one dog may be handled per person. In Andalucia, dangerous animals are banned from entering children's leisure or recreational areas.

Note: In most municipalities, only one dog may be registered to one person. The property where the dogs are kept must be enclosed by a two metre high barrier.

Animals Lost & Found 

Found a pet in Spain?:

Lost a pet in Spain?: